The Juxtaposition of Being Okay
by Heureux Eeyore
Summary: AU after Malfoy Manor in DH part 1. Harry and Ron weren't able to rescue Hermione from Malfoy Manor. Draco takes a stand. DracoHermione friendship, HPDM or RWDM outcome, RLSS, GWOC. The juxtaposition of being "okay" or actually being okay. M for language, torture, slash.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

Disclaimer: Sadly, I am not the writing goddess that is J.K. Rowling. Damn.

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

Footsteps echoed loudly around the small, damp room. She waited anxiously, lying motionlessly against the frigid stone wall. Her broken ankle throbbed mercilessly, and the deep gashes on her arm bled sluggishly. Her left arm was secured to the wall with a long, rusty chain.

The door to the cell groaned as it was thrust open. A limp, naked body was thrown onto the wet stone at her feet. She scrambled forward, chain rattling, and placed thin, trembling fingers to his bruised wrist. His pulse fluttered lightly against her fingertips.

"Tomorrow," the hooded figure snarled with a smirk, "is the big day." He cackled. "I wonder, mudblood, do you think they've forgotten you yet? Do you think they'll risk coming to save you?"

She flinched. "Please," she cried. "He needs help. The pain is too much for him. He'll die!"  
The smirk faded from the man's stern face, but he said nothing.  
"He's your _son_!" she shrieked shrilly. _"Please!"_

The man paused, unease rippling across his pale face. Training his wand on her, he fumbled in one of his robes' many pockets until his fingers brushed against a smooth bottle. He tossed it to the girl.

"Do not expect a repeat of this. I owe you nothing. Tomorrow both of you will be dead, and the world will be in chaos." A cold breeze blew through the cell as he stormed out and slammed the door shut. There was a harsh grating sound as he turned the lock, securing the two teens in their dark, hellish prison.

She impatiently waited for the footsteps to fade before gathering the boy in her arms. "Come on, wake up, wake up, wake up. Wake up, please! Don't let that filthy bastard win."

He let out a low moan, eyes rolling underneath closed eyelids. She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Merlin. It'll be okay. You'll be okay." She tore a ragged piece of cloth from her dirty robes and tied it haphazardly around his waist. His hip bones protruded grotesquely from his body. He recoiled at the contact.  
"Shh, it's okay. It's just me. Can you open your eyes?"

Purple eyelids cracked open to reveal glassy gray eyes filled with pain. "S-se…" he gasped, a mixture of drool and blood dripping from his chapped lips.

She smoothed greasy, dirt-covered hair from his bloodied forehead. "Shh, it's okay. C'mon, help me out here." She attempted to pull him up into a half-sitting position. "I have something for the pain."

He collapsed backwards, the cold stone supporting his limp body. His mouth opened and shut tremulously, desperately trying to conjure words. "Ss-"

She pulled uselessly at her chain. "I need your help. I know it hurts, this will help, but you have to help me out here." She gently took his clenched fist in her unshackled hand. "Relax."

He groaned in pain as she carefully tried to pry his fingers apart. "I'm sorry," she mumbled guiltily. His broken fingers slowly loosened, and she picked the potion up from the floor and placed it loosely in the palm of his hand. "Don't move."

She slowly rose up, tottering unsteadily on her good leg. She spotted the small cup filled with water in the corner of the cell, just out of the range allowed by her chain.

"Fuck."

She strained hopelessly against the metal. _"Fuck!"_

He stirred behind her. "'S'kay," he mumbled. "Don' need."

She slowly crawled back to his half-collapsed figure. A single tear made its way down her dirt-caked face. _You're a failure_. A purple finger gently wiped it away. She glanced up, ashamed, to find his eyes half-mast and his lips curled into a tired smile. "'S'kay," he repeated firmly. "Str'ng."

She took a shaky breath. "You're right. I'm sorry, you're right." She shook her head, as if shaking off her turbulent emotions, then lifted her chin defiantly. "Open wide."  
He gave her another half-smile before parting his swollen, bloodied lips. She gently took the vial from his broken hand and carefully dripped a small bit of potion into his mouth. He swallowed, gagging.

Silence.

She stared at him.

He stared back.

Slowly, his face relaxed, and he slumped more easily against the wall. He let out a happy moan as pain lessened its hold on him. She relaxed as well. "Oh thank Merlin. Looks like that psychotic father of yours isn't a complete apathetic maniac."

His eyes flashed up. "F'ther?"

She blinked, confused. "Yes. He brought you in and threw this at me after I yelled a bit."

His eyebrows furrowed. Then his eyes lit up as he remembered his previous thoughts. "Sev!" He coughed wetly, bright red staining his lips. "Sev."  
She stared at his mouth in horror. "You're bleeding."

"Sev!"

"What about him?" she snapped, still watching the blood dripping down his lips.

Severus was a captive as well, kept prisoner in a different part of the huge house. She had a feeling it was due to his total betrayal of Voldemort. She knew his punishments were far worse than what she had had to endure as of yet.

"Gone."

Her eyes widened. Did that mean…? "Go-"

Screaming. Someone was screaming. A hot, fiery pain coursed through her body. It felt as if her blood was boiling. Was she dying? Was she finally dying, after everything they had been through?  
Vaguely, she was aware of his body thrashing alongside hers. His shrieks mixed with hers, drowning out the sound of pounding footsteps above them.

The pain stopped abruptly.

She sluggishly blinked her eyes open. He was lying next to her, eerily still. Slowly, she dragged herself off the ground, and Hermione Granger draped herself over Draco Malfoy's unconscious body. _I wonder if they're coming to kill us now,_ she thought absently as her mind began to shut down.

She didn't hear the shouts and thuds coming from above them, nor did she hear the door to the cellar bursting open. She didn't see spells being hurled at their captors, nor did she see the body of Lucius Malfoy collide with the bars on their cell door. She didn't hear the desperate whisper, _"Alohomora,"_ nor did she hear the cell door grate harshly as it was opened. She didn't feel a rough hand gently feel around her neck, searching for a pulse, nor did she hear the gasps as they saw Draco's still, broken body underneath her.

No, she wasn't aware of any of it. Hermione was already gone, her mind floating blissfully in a realm above pain, death, and blood.

TJBOTJBOTJBO

A/N: Hi. : )


	2. Chapter 2: The Surprise

Disclaimer: I _am_ J.K. Rowling! Except that's actually a lie. So that.  
A/N: Okay. So this is pretty AU, but not entirely. I'm writing this entire thing based solely on my writers' license. Ahaha.  
Let me make a few things clear. I'm ignoring the epilogue, for starters.  
Dobby's dead, Remus and Tonks are NOT dead (as made very clear by this chapter), Fred is NOT dead, Moody is dead, Crabbe is dead, Narcissa is dead, Bellatrix is dead, Ginny is dead (surprise). I think that's all that matters as of now.  
It's been two months since Lord Voldemort was killed by Harry, and therefore, I'm estimating about 9 weeks since they left Hermione at Malfoy Manor.  
Lucius and around 30 other Death Eaters were ordered by Voldemort to stay behind with the traitors (Severus and Draco, mainly), and their bargaining chip (Hermione).  
Draco and Hermione don't know that Voldemort's dead. But, after his death, they were moved to one of the Malfoy's other homes in England.  
I think that should clear some things up!

Oh, also, beta, anyone?

**Chapter 2: The Surprise**

Remus John (Moony) Lupin was having a bad day. Not even a normal bad day. No, his bad day had to be exceptionally, extraordinarily bad.

Firstly, he woke up with only one sock. He was sure he went to bed the night before with both socks on.  
He tore apart his bedding trying to find the sodding sock to no avail. Where the fuck could it have gone?

Secondly, they were out of coffee. Everybody in the house knows better than to drink the last cup of coffee in the morning lest they face his beastly rage. So where the FUCK did it go?

Lastly, and probably worst, Tonks left him. He didn't even have to ask where the fuck she went, because she told him she was going to stay with Andromeda, and to call her when he got his shit together.

Yeah, right. Fucking bitch.

Remus was sitting at the kitchen table, wallowing in self-pity, and clutching his coffee cup miserably when Severus Snape apparated into the kitchen. Remus blinked at him, then rubbed his eyes, unbelieving. "This is it," he moaned. "I've finally lost my mind."

The dark-haired man let out a gasp of pain, and began to collapse. It was only Remus's werewolf instincts that allowed him to leap forward, catching the skinny man under the armpits, only to fall backwards himself.

They lay there for a minute; Snape's ragged breathing was the only thing Remus could hear. His nose picked up the metallic, wet smell of blood. "Snape," he began. "I thought you were dead."

The body on top of him let out a faint grunt. "'Bviously not," he mumbled almost incoherently.

Remus carefully slid out from underneath him, and gasped when he saw the full damage done to Snape's face. Purple, nearly black bruises ringed both of his dark eyes. A long gash sliced through his right eyebrow, continuing down his cheek until it stopped at his jawline. His lips were chapped and bloody. Dark purple bruises in the shape of two hands ringed around his pale, slender neck. Remus could only imagine the damage done to the rest of his body.

"What happened?" he demanded seriously. He gently wrapped his arms around the taller man's torso (he could feel every bloody rib), and lifted him up, draping Snape's limp arm around his own shoulders.

"No time," he grunted. "Granger. Draco. Need help."

Remus blanched. "You mean Hermione's alive? She's been alive this entire time?"

Snape sent him a scathing look in reply.

"Hey, Remus, what's the racket…" Ron slowed to a stop, staring blankly at Snape. "Bloody hell."

Snape tightened his grip on Remus. "Time!" he growled. Remus ignored him.

"Ron, get Harry, your brothers and your parents. Get Kingsley here, too, and Hagrid." Ron ran off, shouting.

Remus repositioned Snape so he was supporting most of his weight. He weighed less than Tonks did. "Bloody hell, Snape, did they even feed you down there?" Another glare. "Guess not."

"Time," Snape moaned. His eyelids drooped shut. Remus panicked, and gently patted his frigid, pale cheek.

"Hey, hey, c'mon Snape. You have to stay with me. Hermione, you remember her? She'll die. And what about Draco? He's important to you, yeah? Think about him. We can save them. You just have to stay awake."

Snape's head slumped against his chest. "M'sorry," he mumbled.

"Hey, no!" Remus slapped Snape's cheek, hard. "C'mon, Snape, don't do this. Severus!"

His eyelids fluttered open, revealing startled black irises. He listed sideways, gaping at Remus. Remus blushed, looking everywhere but at the battered man beside him. "What?"

"Name," he stuttered in amazement.

Remus opened his mouth to respond, probably with something rude and obnoxious, but Ron burst into the room before he could. Ron was followed closely by Harry, whose mussed hair and skewed glasses indicated that he had still been asleep, Fred, who was hastily pulling on a shoe and holding the fingerless left hand of George, who was as pale and expressionless as ever, Molly, who looked faded and rumpled, Arthur, whose dark circles had circles, Kingsley, who looked impassive (as per usual), and Hagrid, who was unusually quiet.

Bill and Charlie skidded in moments later; the lipstick smeared on Bill's face indicated that he had been with Fleur, and the scorch marks on Charlie's gloves indicated that he had been with a dragon. Maybe four.

Remus felt Snape (Severus? No, no, Snape, always Snape) tense and move a fraction closer to him. He cleared his throat. "As you can see, Snape is actually not dead. He apparated into the kitchen, how," he added with a slight glare, "I do not know as there are supposed to be _protection charms_ surrounding this place." He shot a look at Harry and Ron who looked slightly abashed. "He says they have Hermione."

Everyone's heads shot up and they all stared at Snape. He shifted uncomfortably. "And Draco," he grumbled in Remus's ear.

"Of course," Remus said absently. "Can you get us there?"

Snape nodded sluggishly. "Have…floo," he stumbled over the words. "Lots of floos. Removed…charms from one when…I escaped." He stopped, gasping for breath. Blood bubbled on his lips.

Molly gasped quietly, Ron looked faint, and everyone stared on in shock as a trail of blood made its way down Snape's chin.

Remus slowly maneuvered Snape over to a chair, and sat him down, supporting the frail man's shoulders. He wiped at the blood on the greasy git's mouth. "Come on, Snape, we still need your help. Just tell us where they are."

Snape blinked dazedly at Remus. "Fernwell Estate. Liverpool. Big house. Cellar. Lucius." His eyes glassed over, and he sagged limply against Remus's chest. "Molly," Remus pleaded. "Will you stay with him?"

She scurried over, collecting the unconscious man in her warm arms. He moaned in pain. "Shh," she comforted him. "It'll all be alright." Molly turned her attention back to Remus. "You go get her," she said firmly. "And you bring my children back _unharmed_." With a final glare, she situated Snape onto the large couch in the living space in front of the fireplace and began bustling about, collecting items to begin treating the injured man.

Bill took a look around. "Wait, where's Tonks?"

Remus scowled. "C'mon, let's go. They could be dead by now for all we know."

Everyone shut their mouths, and an identical look of determination took over everybody's faces.

Remus was the first to go through. He grabbed a handful of Floo powder, took a breath, stepped into the fireplace, and said, "Fernwell Estate!" He disappeared with a puff of smoke.

RLSSRLSSRLSS

Remus opened his eyes to an immaculate green room. The couches were green, the curtains green, the bloody _bookshelf_ was green. Remus jumped as Kingsley appeared in the fireplace with a small pop. He placed a finger over his lips, and Kingsley nodded.

Remus tiptoed carefully to the door of the room, and pressed an ear to it. He could hear muffled voices coming from a room down the hallway. He gave the all clear to Kinglsey, who was backed by Arthur, George, Fred, and Charlie.

It took another couple minutes for everyone to pop through. Hagrid was the last, and he stayed at the fireplace, armed with his wand. A large bag of Floo powder hung on his belt.

"Everybody ready?" Remus asked grimly. His wand was gripped firmly in his hand. Ron and Harry's faces were twin images of ferocity mixed with hope mixed with fear. Fred brandished his wand carelessly, but his eyes were focused, and his arm was wrapped protectively around his twin's narrow shoulders. George's face was blank, but he had his wand held loosely in his right hand. The uneven nubs on his left hand were twisted desperately in Fred's shirt. Bill and Charlie nodded determinedly, and Kingsley stood silently.

"Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3: The Rescue

Disclaimer: My polyjuice potion did not work, and unfortunately, I still have the appearance of a single, slightly crazed teenage girl. Maybe it's because I couldn't get a piece of J.K. Rowling's hair. Damn it all.

Thanks to everyone who added this to their story alerts xD And for the review!  
Also, still in need of a beta. Let me know if there are any glaringly obvious grammatical or spelling mistakes!

**Chapter 3: The Rescue**

Remus stepped out into the dark, silent hallway. With a quietly murmured _"Lumos,"_ the barrenness of the hallway was revealed. A single picture hung on the unblemished wallpaper. Voldemort stared unblinkingly at Remus. Behind him, he heard Harry let out an enraged hiss.

Nagini curled around Voldemort's shoulders, scales glistening with a dark red substance, and the dead man curled bloodless lips into a sadistic smile.

"Just a photo," Remus whispered unconvincingly. They continued down the hallway. The quiet murmur of voices grew steadily louder.

"We know exactly where they are. Why don't we just go and kill them all?"

A familiar voice growled. "No, you bloody imbecile. The Dark Lord left us under strict instructions. Perhaps if we torture the girl in front of him, he will cooperate."

Remus bared his teeth. He knew exactly who the man was speaking of.

"I will go and prepare them," the man snarled. His footsteps sounded, getting closer to the door. Remus cast a panicked look at the men standing behind him. Everyone was frozen in place.

The door creaked opened, and Lucius Malfoy stepped out. His silvery eyes widened and his mouth opened, hand flying to draw his wand.

"_Imperio."_

Lucius jerked. His eyes shined defiantly before they slowly faded to a dull, senseless gray.

"Come here."

Lucius walked mechanically over to where Kingsley stood, taller than a god, prouder than a phoenix.

"Good, very good," Kingsley breathed, ignoring the looks of bafflement and disbelief being sent his way. "Now take us to the cellar."

Lucius turned stiffly and wandered down the stairs. The remaining Death Eaters turned and gaped at the newcomers. Everyone froze, except for Lucius, who was still dazedly stumbling across the room.

Wands went up, and spells flew.

"Quick, follow him!" Remus shouted at the other Order members. He scrambled after Lucius, narrowly dodging a Conjunctivitus Curse. He heard Harry shout, _"Sectumsempra!"_ and watched as a Death Eater, whom he recognised as Roldolphus Lestrange, fell to the floor, seizing as blood poured out of countless gashes in his chest.

Lucius pulled a large key out of his pocket, and stuck it into the padlock on a hefty metal door. He froze, emotion rippling over his face.Fuck, the stupid man was fighting the _Imperius_.

"_Stupefy!"_ He yelled as the door swung open. Lucius's unconscious body tumbled down the stairs, taking out the Death Eater that had flung the door open in an attempt to see what all the commotion was about.

Remus, backed by Ron and Charlie, sprinted down the stairs. He froze in horror. The two redheads crashed into his back, but he didn't move.

Various torture instruments lined the walls, scalpels, daggers, butcher knives, swords, axes. The cellar was only around ten metres long, with a small cell at the opposite side. Remus could see a tiny lump of a body lying limply inside. Anger filled him, a white-hot burning fury, and he aimed his wand viciously at Lucius's body. Ron and Charlie were already engaged in a duel with two other Death Eaters.

"_Expulso!" _Remus roared. Lucius's wand exploded, sending him flying. His body collided with the bars of the cell, making a sickening crack.

Remus turned to find the two Death Eaters unconscious and bleeding, and Ron and Charlie staring at him. He flushed and mumbled something inaudible.

Cautiously, the three men approached the cell. Remus could make out tell-tale bushy brown hair. Ron let out a pained gasp as he saw his girlfriend lying limply on top of a pale, naked body. "Please, Merlin," he moaned as Remus hurriedly unlocked the door. "Please let her be alive."

They walked cautiously into the damp cell. It smelled disgusting, an atrocious combination of blood, vomit, and urine.

Ron gently pressed his fingers against her wrist, and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt her pulse, strong but quick, _too quick_.

He let out a sudden gasp. "Oh my God."

Remus and Charlie drew closer. "What?" Charlie inquired warily. Shakily, Ron gingerly moved Hermione away from the body on the floor. "Who is it?" Charlie asked, stepping closer.

Remus stared at the shock of dirty, but still recognisable, platinum blonde hair in disbelief.

"Malfoy," Ron said dazedly. "It's Malfoy. I think he's dead."

Remus took another step forward. As he did, the blonde's eyes snapped open. Glassy gray eyes stared around the room without recognition. His gaze landed on Ron, who was kneeling beside him. _Close, too close. _He recoiled, screeching incoherently. Ron fell backwards onto his arse with an "oomph" as Malfoy flung a bony elbow into his stomach. Hermione remained unconscious next to the blonde, who, after spitting at Ron, draped himself over her, giving a ferocious growl. Spit mixed with blood drooled from his partially opened mouth.

The men stared in complete shock.

Pounding footsteps were heard on the steps, and the other members of the Order skidded to a halt behind the three shell-shocked men.

Harry gasped in horror as he saw his best friend lying unconscious under a naked Draco Malfoy. A single piece of cloth was tied about his unnaturally thin waist, allowing him the smallest bit of dignity.

Fred went to grab George's hand, but the scarred redhead was already out of reach. George stepped forward silently. Draco's eyes flew wildly to focus on the new threat. He bared his teeth. George held his fingerless hand out peacefully. He remembers those gray eyes from the time of his imprisonment. The guilt they held, the hope. The love, the worry, and the fear. The mind-numbing, unconquerable fear. The kindnesses the pale boy had bestowed upon him. The punishments he had received for showing mercy towards a prisoner.

Draco stared at the deformed hand. His mouth shut with an audible click. He was still for a moment. Everyone held their breath. Then, Draco reached his hand out. It was swollen, purple, and bloody, his ring and pinky fingers bent and deformed to the point that the bones were poking out of his thin, paper-like skin. His middle finger was completely gone from the second knuckle up. Someone had taken the care to partially heal it, but the nub was still raw and slightly bloody. Fred stared on in horror as George made his way over to Draco.

Draco tensed when George got within a foot of him and Hermione. He glowered menacingly, and hissed a jumble of what may have been words. George couldn't make out what he had said. Hermione stirred underneath the blonde, letting out a soft moan. Draco lost focus for a brief moment, eyes softening as he stared down at the teenaged girl in concern. A shouted _"STUPEFY!"_ caught him dead in the chest. He looked up, eyes bright with betrayal, lids already falling shut. His body fell silently onto Hermione's prone form.

George turned around, furious. His eyes searched relentlessly until they met Fred's guilty ones. He inhaled sharply and shook his head with disappointment. He refused to look at Fred again.

Everyone stood about awkwardly for a moment, before Remus took charge again. "Right, well, we'd best get them back to Molly."

Ron stepped forward, sliding Hermione out from under Malfoy. He cradled her thin body close to his chest, murmuring reassurances as he and Harry followed Kingsley out of the cellar. Remus and Fred started for Malfoy but George glowered at both of them. He scooped his skinny arms underneath the unconscious boy and lifted him up. When he staggered, Fred lurched forward to help his twin, but George just glared furiously at him. He cradled Draco close, similar to how Ron held Hermione, and started for the stairs.

The rest of them stared blankly, before rushing after him.

DMGWFWHPRWHGRLSSMWAWCWBWFDKSRH

Molly stroked her fingers nervously through Snape's newly washed and shorn hair. _Oh dear, they've been gone for a while_, she worried. _Perhaps I should phone the Ministry_.

Snape began twitching on the couch. His face scrunched up in pain, and his breathing became labored. Molly didn't notice, too absorbed in her fretting.

She did, however notice, when he started to cry, harsh, relentless sobs that shook his thin frame. Incoherent words burst from his mouth, jumbled pleas for help. Molly fluttered her hands uselessly about him. "Shh," she hushed gently, and brushed her fingers against his flushed cheek. "You're okay, Severus. Everything's alright now."

His sobs slowly died down, but his tears didn't stop. He gasped for air. Molly wrung her hands anxiously. Her maternal instincts kicked in, and she carefully gathered the shattered man in her large, warm arms. He hiccupped with surprise, and lay motionless as warmth filled his body.

Images of red hair, green eyes filled his mind. Then the memory transformed to brown hair, kind brown eyes, an easy smile. Severus relaxed into Molly's embrace, breath hitching every few inhales.

There was a pop. Molly jerked away, and started for the fireplace. "Oh, _Hermione_," she gasped as Ron stumbled into view, face pale and grim, arms trembling with residue fear and the burden of the unconscious girl.

Molly conjured up a cot, and placed it near Severus's couch. Ron gently placed Hermione on the table, and pulled away, touching his lips to her cheek. He sat down in the armchair nearest and stared worriedly as Molly began performing healing spells on the injured girl.

Two more pops sounded, as Harry and Kingsley appeared in the fireplace.

"_Episkey!"_ Molly said for the fifth time, sounding desperate. She turned to Kingsley. "It isn't working. Why isn't it working?"

Kingsley placed a placating hand on her arm. "It is alright, Mrs. Weasley. We will just have to do it the old-fashioned way. Did the healing spell work on Mr. Snape?"

Molly shook her head dejectedly. "His injuries are more extensive though, I wasn't surprised. But the only physical injuries I can find apart from minor bruising are a minor concussion, her broken ankle, these awful gashes on her arm, and this odd little cut here." She pointed to an oddly shaped laceration on Hermione's wrist. It resembled a V.

"That is not a cut, Mrs. Weasley," Kingsley said gravely. "That is a brand. I have a feeling that while the injuries may appear to be mostly physical, it is the psychological ones that will have the lasting damage."

Molly's hands flew to her mouth in horror.

More pops sounded from the fireplace. "Help, we need help!" Remus shouted.

Molly spun around, and gasped in horror as she saw the mostly naked teen in George's arms. "Oh my _God_." Arthur conjured up a second cot, right next to Hermione's. George deposited the lifeless Malfoy onto the cot, then stepped back, eyeing the boy worriedly. Fred outstretched his arm to George, who just narrowed his eyes in warning. Fred's head dropped and his shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry," he mumbled pathetically.

George couldn't quite bring himself to turn away from his twin. With a despondent sigh, he shuffled closer and allowed Fred to wrap him in a warm hug.

TJBOTJBOTJBO

A/N: Awful ending, I know. Oh well. ; )


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